Tumbled citrine — quartz in shades of pale honey through to deep amber, polished smooth in a rotating barrel with progressively finer grit until the surface takes a glassy shine.
What it is, honestly
Citrine is the yellow variety of quartz, coloured by traces of iron within the crystal lattice. Natural citrine is genuinely uncommon — and this is the thing the trade rarely says out loud: most citrine sold anywhere in the world is heat-treated amethyst. Amethyst and citrine are the same mineral with the same iron impurity in different oxidation states, and heating purple amethyst to a few hundred degrees turns it yellow or orange permanently.
That is not a fraud and it is not a lesser stone — it is a normal, centuries-old practice, and heated material is chemically real citrine. But you should know what you are buying. Natural citrine tends towards smoky, pale lemon and champagne tones; heat-treated material tends towards a stronger orange, often with a whitish base. If deep orange, assume it has been heated.
Looking after it
Quartz is hard — 7 on the Mohs scale — so it resists scratching from most things it will meet in a pocket or a bowl. Its weakness is light. Citrine's colour comes from a colour centre in the crystal, and prolonged direct sunlight fades it. A windowsill is the worst place for it, however tempting.
Wash in cool water with a little mild soap, and dry it. Avoid hot water, and avoid leaving it in salt — salt is abrasive and works into any surface fracture.
A note on tradition
Citrine has long-standing associations in folk tradition with warmth, optimism and abundance, and it is often kept on a desk or in a purse for that reason. We mention it because people ask. It is a tradition, not a medical claim, and nothing here is a substitute for medical advice.
Please note
Every stone is different — natural material varies in colour, banding, size and shape, and yours will not be identical to the photograph. Not a toy: small stones are a choking hazard for young children.
treatfuls
treatfuls
Sophie m
